Feb. 28, 2003
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech softball team (9-6) hopes to improve on a three-game winning streak when the Georgia State Invitational opens Saturday at the Panthers’ Bob Heck Field. The Jackets will face Bradley at 2:30 p.m., followed by a 4:45 p.m. meeting with Manhattan College.
Following Saturday’s action, the Jackets face host Georgia State at 12:15 p.m. Sunday, followed by either the consolation game or the tournament’s title game.
Last time out, the Jackets swept Troy State Tuesday at Glenn Field. Tech took game one, 6-5, and won the second, 5-0. These victories marked the first time this season that the Jackets scored five or more runs in back-to-back games, and Tech has a season-high 10 hits in the first game. Sophomore ace Jessica Sallinger (5-4) earned both wins, while Lindsay Wood and Tara Knudsen both homered in the twinbill.
Sallinger leads the Tech pitching staff with a 1.76 earned run average and 71 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. Wood is the Jackets’ top run producer with two home runs and eight runs batted in this season. Senior Tara Neff leads the Jackets with a .368 average.
Tech has never faced Manhattan and is 0-1 all-time against Bradley. The Braves took a 3-0 decision from the Jackets at the 1995 Buzz Classic. The Jackets lead the all-time slate with Georgia State, 19-17. Last year, Tech swept the Panthers, 5-3 and 5-2, at Glenn Field on February 20. GSU is 3-7 this season, while Bradley is 1-5. Saturday marks Manhattan’s first games of the season.
After this weekend’s action, Tech heads west for its spring break trip. The Jackets face St. Mary’s (Calif.) Thursday, March 6, before opening the National Invitational Softball Tournament in Sunnyvale, Calif.
-GT-
